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Two fingers and tears as reshuffle victims resort to gesture politics

September 6 2012, 1:01am, The Times

Justine Greening is said to have shouted at the PMRosie Hallam/Getty Images

David Cameron’s reshuffle provoked tantrums and two fingers from members of his party as the first major reshaping of his Government unleashed a wave of hostility. The Prime Minister sought to stem criticism last night by announcing knighthoods and other honours to MPs he had just sacked from ministerial posts.

He also awarded a place on the Privy Council to two MPs who lost their government jobs and Lord Ashcroft, the Tory peer and former donor who has criticised the direction of the party.

Allies of the Prime Minister admitted that there had been difficult moments in the reshuffle, in which 29 members of the Government lost their post, but insisted that it had gone efficiently given the scale of the task.